1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lever fitting-type connector in which a connector is fitted into a mating connector by pivotally moving a lever mounted on the connector.
2. Related Art
FIG. 5 shows a conventional lever fitting-type connector. This lever fitting-type connector comprises a male connector 1, a lever 2 pivotally mounted on the male connector 1, and a female connector 3 into which the male connector 1 is fitted. The male connector 1 has a plurality of terminal receiving chambers 4 for respectively receiving terminals therein, which terminal receiving chambers 4 extend through the male connector 1 in an upward-downward direction. Disengagement prevention ribs 6 are respectively formed on and project laterally from opposite side surfaces 5 of the male connector 1 at one end thereof, and extend in a connector-fitting direction. A slot 7 is formed between each of the disengagement prevention ribs 6 and the corresponding side surface 5, the slots 7 extending in the connector-fitting direction. Bosses 8 are also formed on and project from the opposite side surfaces 5 of the male connector 1, respectively. Each boss 8 is disposed generally centrally of the length of the male connector 1. The lever 2 is pivotally supported by these bosses 8.
The lever 2 includes a pair of right and left side walls 9, and an operating portion 10 interconnecting the right and left side walls 9. The right and left side walls 9 have rotation holes 11, respectively, in which the bosses 8 are inserted so that the lever 2 can be pivotally moved about the bosses 8. The operating portion 10 of the lever 2 interconnects the rear end portions of the right and left side walls 9, and this operating portion 10 is operated or pressed when fitting the connector. Front end portions of the right and left side walls 9 remote from the operating portion 10 serve as projected engagement portions 12, respectively. These projected engagement portions 12 are inserted respectively in the slots 7 in the male connector 1, and therefore will not be disengaged respectively from the disengagement prevention ribs 6, so that the lever 2 is prevented from being disengaged from the male connector 1.
The female connector 3 includes a hood portion 13 with an open top into which the male connector 1 is fitted. Engagement holes 15, in which the projected engagement portions 12 can be engaged, respectively, are formed in that surface 14 of the hood portion 13 which is to be opposed to the projected engagement portions 12. Elongate grooves 16 for respectively receiving the disengagement prevention ribs 6 of the connector 1 are formed respectively in opposite side surfaces of the hood portion 13.
In this lever fitting-type connector, the lever 2 is mounted on the male connector 1, as shown in FIG. 5, and the male connector and the lever in this assembled condition are inserted into the hood portion 13, and a fitting operation is effected. At this time, the disengagement prevention ribs 6 are inserted respectively into the elongate grooves 16, and by doing so, a gouging engagement between the connectors 1 and 3 can be prevented.
For fitting the connectors together, the projected engagement portions 12 of the lever 2, are passed respectively through the slots 7 in the male connector 1, and are engaged respectively in the engagement holes 15 in the hood portion 13, and in this engaged condition, the operating portion 10 is pressed. In this pressing operation, the lever 2 is pivotally moved through the leverage in which the operating portion 10 serves as a force-applying point, and the bosses 8 serve as an application point, and the projected engagement portions 12, engaged respectively in the engagement holes 15, serve as a supporting point. Therefore, the lever 2 and the male connector 1 is fitted in unison into the female connector 3.
In the lever fitting-type connector of the above construction, if it is desired to reduce the operating force required for the fitting operation, this can be effected by providing the projected engagement portions 12 (serving as the supporting point for the pivotal movement of the lever 2) at a point closer to the bosses 8. In this case, the projected engagement portions 12 serve as the supporting point for the pivotal movement, and also are inserted and engaged in the respective disengagement prevention ribs 6, thereby preventing the lever 2 from being disengaged from the male connector 1. Therefore, if the projected engagement projections 12 are disposed closer to the bosses 8, the disengagement prevention ribs 6 of the male connector 1 also need to be disposed closer to the bosses 8.
In this case, however, the disengagement prevention ribs 6 interfere with spacer openings 17 formed in the male connector 1, and therefore the disengagement prevention ribs 6 can not be disposed closer to the bosses 8. In the conventional lever fitting-type connector, the projected engagement portions 12, thus, need to be engaged respectively with the disengagement prevention ribs 6, and therefore this connector can not be designed so as to reduce the operating force, and hence has a disadvantage that it can not meet with the requirement of a multi-pole design requiring a large operating force.